PILOTING ASSISTANCE SYSTEM AND AN AIRCRAFT

• US 20120314034A1
• Filed: 06/04/2012
• Published: 12/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Helicopters
• Original Assignee: Eurocopter
• Inventors: Germanetti, Serge, Ott, Adrien, Boudier, Pierre
• Granted Patent: US 9,244,649 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/47
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 10/00 Flight suits helmets in general A42B3/00; breathing helmets A62B18/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/00 Combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value, e.g. for aircraft; Combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement, e.g. distance, speed or acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/12 Avionics applications
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/003 to produce spatial visual effects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/344 with head-mounted left-right displays

Abstract

The present invention relates to a piloting assistance system (10) for an aircraft (1) that is provided with determination means (20) for determining piloting information. The system comprises at least one display system (40) wearable on the head of a pilot, the display system (40) being provided with left display means (41) suitable for being viewed by a left eye of said pilot and right display means (42) suitable for being viewed by a right eye of said pilot, said determination means (20) including first processor means (21) for processing said information and second processor means (22) for processing said information, the processor means including stored instructions for causing said information to be displayed simultaneously and respectively on the left display means (41) and on the right display means (42).

Claims

1. A piloting assistance system for an aircraft provided with determination means for determining piloting information, wherein the system comprises at least one display system wearable on the head of a pilot, the display system being provided with left display means suitable for being viewed by a left eye of said pilot and right display means suitable for being viewed by a right eye of said pilot, said determination means including first processor means for processing said information and second processor means for processing said information, the processor means including stored instructions for causing said information to be displayed simultaneously and respectively on the left display means and on the right display means.

2. A system according to claim 1, including at least one primary data sensor connected to the first processor means and to the second processor means, said first processor means and said second processor means including stored instructions for determining at least one item of information relating to data to be selected from a list including at least:

a speed of rotation of a rotary wing;

the attitude of the aircraft;

an air speed of the aircraft;

a barometric altitude of the aircraft;

a height of the aircraft;

a quantity of fuel remaining on board said aircraft;

a load factor of the aircraft; and

first limit information for a power plant of the aircraft.

3. A system according to claim 1, including image capture means provided with at least one camera connected to the first processor means and to the second processor means, the first processor means and the second processor means including stored instructions for reconstituting an image of the outside of the aircraft by using said capture means.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein the first processor means and the second processor means cause information including said image to be displayed simultaneously and respectively on the left display means and on the right display means.

5. A system according to claim 3, including a plurality of cameras, each pointing towards a respective sector of a sphere surrounding said aircraft.

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein two adjacent cameras cover two sectors (S1, S2) that overlap partially.

7. A system according to claim 3, including positioning means for determining the processor of said display system connected to the first processor means and to the second processor means, the first processor means and the second processor means including stored instructions for determining information including an image of the outside of the aircraft present in the field of view (S0) of the pilot.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein said positioning means are capable of identifying a “

head-down”

position of the display system as occurs when a pilot looks at the inside of the cockpit of an aircraft, the first processor means and the second processor means including stored instructions for suspending the display of said image while in said “

head-down”

position.

9. A system according to claim 1, including a digital terrain model connected to the first processor means and to the second processor means, the first processor means and the second processor means including stored instructions for causing information to be displayed that includes a digital representation of the terrain simultaneously and respectively on the left display means and on the right display means.

10. A system according to claim 1, including deactivation means for deactivating the display of said information on at least one of said display means, said deactivation means being operable by the pilot in the event of a lack of similarity between the information displayed on the left display means and on the right display means.

11. A system according to claim 1, including at least one on-board fixed screen connected to said first and second processor means to display said information.

12. A system according to claim 1, including positioning means capable of identifying a “

head-down”

position of the display system as occurs when a pilot looks at the inside of the cockpit of an aircraft, and the first processor means and the second processor means include stored instructions for displaying a representation of a virtual instrument panel.

13. A system according to claim 12, including touch screens arranged on the instrument panel of the aircraft.

14. A system according to claim 1, wherein the first processor means and the second processor means for processing said information include stored instructions for causing said information to be displayed simultaneously and respectively on the left display means and on the right display means from a right-eye point of view and from a left-eye point of view so as to produce a stereoscopic display.

15. An aircraft, including a piloting assistance system according to claim 1.